When is a Notice of Violation (NOV) issued?

A Notice of Violation (NOV) is typically issued in situations where there is a pattern of non-compliance with regulations, particularly when previous violations have occurred. In this context, if there are already two closed Letters of Warning (LOWs) on record, it indicates that the vessel or party has repeatedly violated regulations, demonstrating a clear need for more serious enforcement actions like an NOV. This step serves to formally notify the party that their past behavior is unacceptable and must be corrected, as repeated infractions highlight a potential for ongoing non-compliance.

The other options are not standard conditions for issuing an NOV. For instance, minor infractions might result in warnings or other advisories instead of immediate NOVs. Similarly, the volume of a spill, while certainly serious, would typically require consideration of the specific circumstances surrounding the incident rather than leading directly to an NOV without additional context. Lastly, the decommissioning of a vessel does not inherently trigger an NOV; it would depend on whether there were existing violations at the time of decommissioning. Thus, the issuance of an NOV is more closely aligned with a documented pattern of infractions, as seen with the previous LOWs.